Soft-collar fastener



L. REITER. SOFT COLLAR FASTENVER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15. I921.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

//V l/EN T 0/? 'LuEs RE/TER A NORA/78 PATENT OFFICE.

LUES *REI TEB, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SOFT-COLLAR FASTENER.

7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

Application filed February 15, 1921. Serial No. 445,135.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, Lu'ns Rnrrnn, a citizen of theUnited States, and a resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and Stateof Rhode Island, have invented a new and. Improved Soft-Collar Fastener, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the class of clamps or Clasps and has particularly reference to a fastening device especially designed for use in connection with soft collars.

It has been'the general practiceto employ various devices for fastening the wings of soft collars in juxtaposition, such as tapes having buttons secured at the opposite ends which are received by and co-act with button holes in the wings of the collar, bar pins which are inserted through the wings, clamps which frictionally engage and 00- act with the wings and other similar devices for this purpose.

This invention contemplates and seeks to provide a device of this character which combines with clamping means, small spurs or pins which function to engage the inner side of the collar wings and anchor the device to the collar without tearing or otherwise defacing the outer surface thereof.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a fastening device as characterized, which efiectively and positively retains the wings of the collar injuxtaposition without in any way detracting from the ornamental features of a device of this type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fastening device which is easily and readily associated with or removed from the collar with a minimum amount of effort.

As a further object to produce a device of this character which may be constructed at a minimum cost by utilizing elements which may be stamped out and bent upon themselvesto effect their assembly.

With the above recited and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the fastening device, illustrating its application to a collar.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view therethrough illustrating one of'the fingers open and the remaining finger in clamped position, said section being taken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 3.

3 is a front elevation thereof.

F g. 4: is a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 5 1s a'transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 55 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank from which the rigid bar is constructed prior to its assembly.

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the blank constituting the resilient strip prior to its assembly.

Fig. 8 is a detailed perspective view of one of the clamping fingers removed.

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, A designates a soft collar having the usual wings B and C designates generally the fastening device.

The fastening device includes a rigid bar or strip 10 stamped from a sheet of material and having its longitudinal edges folded inwardly to provide flanges 11.

The opposite ends are provided with lugs or flanges 12 which are adapted to be bent inwardly. The bar is provided with longitudinally spaced slots 13, the side edges of which are struck up to provide bearings 14. Clamping fingers 15 having laterally projectingtrunnions 16 at their inner ends are provided and said trunnions are received by the bearings 11 to pivotally associate the inner ends of the fingers with the bar. A. resilient strip 17 having its opposite ends provided with spurs 18 is clamped between the side and end flanges 11 and 12 of the rigid bar 10, the spurs 18 being bent to dispose their points inwardly over the outer ends of the bar 10. The strip 17 is provided with parallel longitudinal slits 19, the material therebetween constituting spring tongues 20 which are disposed directly below the slots 13 when the device is assembled. The inner end of the clamping fingers 15 extend slightly beyond the trunnions 16 to provide a decammed terminal 21 which co-acts with the spring tongues to retain the fingers in either opened or closed position as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. In the application of the device to a collar, after the tie D has been tied, the fingers 15 are opened and the body of the fastener is inserted between the folds of the collar, the spurs 18 engaging I the under surface of the wings. The clamping fingers are then swung downwardly over the wing to clamp the same between the outer ends of the body or bar 10 and said fingers, the resiliency of the tongues 20 serv-' ing to retaln the clamping fingers in closed position.

In the modified form illustrated in Fig. 9 Y

of the drawings, the outer extremities of the rigid barlO and the resilient strip are outwardly flared as at 11 and provided with additionalspurs 18 to provide a wider bearmg or engaging portion which tends to retam the wing in stretched position for preventing the same from crushing or cruni- V pling. The remainder of the structure is identical with the preferred embodiment of the invention, and the manner of its assembly and operation, Y

While there has been illustrated and de scribed several preferred embodiments of the invention, no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details, as it is to be understood that variations and modifications which properly fall within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to when found expedient.

I claim:

11 A device as characterized, comprising a rigid bar having'side-and end flanges, a flat spring bar clamped between said flanges at the rear side thereof, said bar having slots vided with transversely alined, bearings struck up fromthe opposite sides and ends. of said bar, 'a pair of clampingfingers each having laterally projecting trunnions at the inner ends arrangedin said bearings for pivotingthe fingersto the bar and a reslli-v ent strip" clamped to the; inner side of-the bar between the flanges, said-strip'having parallel longitudinal slits disposed adjacent each slot constituting spring tongues adapted to engage and co-act with the inner ends of the fingers tozretain the same respectively in opened or closed position.

. i LUES REITER. 

